Hi-Fi Audio Mini DAC & Headphone Amp

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March 21, 2009

Carat-TOPAZ

Styleaudio TOPAZ

Hi Fi AUDIO USB DAC & HEADPHONE AMP

The Styleaudio TOPAZ is our highest model which is an affordable ultra high quality USB DAC and headphone amplifier and the 3nd version of Styleaudio’s JEWEL series.. A custom designed and very dense PCB is stuffed with the highest quality parts, including: OSCON and WIMA caps, 1.0ppm TCXO clock and Vishay-Dale resistors. In addition to using top shelf parts, the designers also segregated each section of the unit, isolating the input, digital conversion, main power and analog sections from each other to ensure a very low noise floor.

The headphone driver portion of the Topaz is quite special, utilizing two of the high performance TI/Burr Brown OPA2134 OPAMP's, allowing the Topaz to comfortably drive any headphone from 32ohm to 300ohm. The line ouput section gets the same attention to detail as the rest of the unit and employs two of the Analog Device AD817 OPAMP's, allowing the Topaz to be at home in a high end two channel audio system. Impressively, the Topaz also use four of the TI NE5534 OPAMP's for the I/V section, a testament to their dedication to quality and good sound.

The impressive engineering pedigree and use of top notch parts continues into the DAC section. Utilizing the TI PCM1792 24bit/192Khz DA converter, this DAC is capable of an astounding dynamic range of 123dB with a negligible THD+N of 0.0005%. The USB input is controlled by the proven TI PCM2707 USB controller, allowing use of up to 48Khz files via USB. And, finally, the digital controller is the Crystal CS8416 with low jitter clock recovery.

The Topaz is truly "plug and play" with any Mac OS of 9.0 or later and any Windows OS of 2000, or later. Plug it in, let the divers load, select the device (if necessary) and listen to the great sound now emanating from your computer!

Package includes:

Topaz DAC/headphone amp

USB Cable

Brass feet/couplers

User manual

6VDC power adapter

Our philosophy of the building is very similar to plan new city. For example, there’s no factory in the middle of residence town. Same as this, PCB designers should consider also with this kind of view point. TOPAZ is designed with 4 different parts such as Input, Digital covert, Main Power and Analog. We designed these 4 different areas separately and also isolate ground in circuit design. This effort can minimize a possibility which could make any interference each other between different function-parts. For this, TOPAZ take independently shield DC-DC converter.

1. The best of the best, PCM 1792 by Burr-Brown

When we look the digital specification, PCM 1792 is normally said as the best chipset. And for the hight end device, the combination of PCM 1792 & CIRRUS Logic's CS8416 has a good reputation in Hi Fi Audio industry. TOPAZ has also this combination. However it is audio device, not IT device, the unit should need another factors which should have as a high end components. Styleaudio tried to add other qualified parts, enough & stable power supply, efficient circuit design and analog parts. Because we belive that audio components must by combined by all these factors, not only by digital specification.

2. Optical input

TOPAZ has digital(Optical) input as well as USB input. You can connect DVD player or low end CD player to TOPAZ. You can enjoy Hi Fi auido quality with these devices also.

3. Like a planning new city:Our philosophy in designing the printed circuit boards for our products is very similar to the process good city planners take when planning a new city. For example, a good city planner will not put factories, industrial areas and city infrastructure close to residential areas. Similarly, we isolate each circuit of our products from one other, with four discrete and isolated sections: Input, digital conversion, main power and analog. By keeping these sections separate via dedicated DC to DC converters and ensuring that the grounds are isolated, this minimizes the possibility of interference between sections.

4. Separate power adapterUSB power supply maybe easy to use. However TOPAZ did not take this "easy to use". TOPAZ is designed to work with 6V DC with external power adapter. Why? We think higher model should give better things. As TOPAZ is an audio device, "better things" must be sould quality. USB power-in is easy, but we know some times its power supply is not very stable. Everybody know the stable power supply is very important to produce very good sould. We expect TOPAZ produce very good sound qualtity with very stable stable power supply.

5. 1.0ppm TCXOTOPAZ also has 1.0ppm TCXO. A TCXO (Temperature Controlled Crystal Oscillator) is normally used in much more expensive audio products, many costing thousands of dollars. We believe that our use of this key part contributes to the overall sound quality.

6. 24 ~ 300 ohm headphone compatible

TOPAZ has a circuit which filters spurious noise from the input of the headphone AMP and was designed to the same standards an independent/stand alone headphone AMP. TOPAZ is compatible with any headphone that has an impedance of 24ohm ~ 300ohm. For the OP AMP's, TOPAZ utilizes TI OPA2134 and TI OPA2604 for the output. The output level is a very healthy 2Vrms, which is the same level of many separate high end Hi-Fi level CD players or Hi-Fi DAC's, so this unit can drive virtually any preamplifier stage on the market.

7. Aluminum volume knobTOPAZ has a custom aluminum volume knob in place of the plastic used in most components at this price range. The unit is fitted with a orange LED which reminds one that they are listening to a "precious jewel", the TOPAZ.